Friday, December 31, 2010

Got to know this lip balm when I was looking at dior website for the swaeovski necklace lip gloss which was introduced in early 2010. I simply adore the balm's casing! So elegant..I laid my hands on it in Nov at Changi Dutyfree. It was a few bucks cheaper than town. Lip balm was retailing at $41 at Dior counters.

This lip balm claims to responds to the color chemistry of our lips to create a shade thats uniquely yours. It comes with spf 10 as well.

Result: After application, you can see your lips slowly turning pink haha. Rather natural. Lips stay moisturised for hours too! Since it gives lips color, be sure to apply evenly.

Verdict: 9/10 A rather impressive lip balm thats worth to spurgle once in a while.

Bought this hand cream when I visited Tokyo earlier in May. Well, Im a sucker for hand cream and of cos when I saw this going for less than $10, I grabbed it almost immediately haha. If I did not remember wrongly, its retailing @ 500-600yen.

Review:

Cream texture which smells a little weird. I guess its probably the olive, but its definitely not unpleasant and overwhelming.

Hands looked oily after usage but did not left my hands feeling smooth.

An average handcream I would say, nothing too fantastic.

Verdict: 6/10

Though hands looked oily and did not felt smooth, but it did moisturised my hands in a way haha. Hands did not feel dry after usage like some lousy handcream.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Heard some good reviews from friends around me for this mask. Since my ahava deep cleansing mask is finishing, i decided to give this origins mask a try. I glad i did haha.

Origins is cheaper in HK as compared to Sg. For more details on Origins products, pls refer to my previous post.

Review:

No unpleasant smell detected. Its rather easy to apply, not too watery etc. According the the Sales assistant, i gotta leave it on for 20-30min. Its very much more time consuming as compared to my Ahava's deep cleansing mask. So I make sure I bring a magazine to the toilet whenever I use this mask LOL.

After I covered my face with 'charcoal', there was a slight 'burning' sensation. I dont really know how to describe the feeling, but it was not very uncomfortable I promise. As in I will feel something, maybe a little warm?! Cos when I was using Ahava, I experience none of this. Well, my sensitive face don react negatively to this mask so I guess the sensation is normal.

This charcoal mask can be rinsed off easily too. This is the part which Im worried about at first. Bcos its black in color, it made my rinsing job easier since I can easily spot which are the areas I've not yet wash etc. This can be a little tricky when I am using the Ahava mask previously, esp when I am not wearing my glasses.

Face looked significantly brighter after usage! A little tight but still bearable after rinse, so I always make sure I do a hydrating mask after this charcoal mask! face felt smooth. Pores seemed to look smaller as well haha!

Verdict: 9/10 My fave deep cleansing mask at the moment! 1 point deducted cos the 20min wait is kinda long esp when I am left tired and sleepy after work everyday. So I usually only use mask once a week. NExt will be the weird sensation I feel upon application.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Bought this hair serum cos I saw alot of magazines recommending it, won a couple of awards in those magazines' hall of fame as well.

Rather affordable, selling at around $15 @ watsons if i am not wrong. Its also available @ cold storage, guardian etc.

Result:

Smells nice though I find it a bit too strong sometimes. Texture of serum is some sort oil I feel, abit oily if I were to use too much.

Serum did help to tame frizzy hair quite a bit but it will cause my hair to be a bit oily if I use too much of it. So Ive to be really careful with the amount I use. A 50cent coin size will be enough for my short hair.

Long time since my last post. Was away quite some time for a camp, glad I enjoyed it.

Anyway, this is the new edition for mandom beauty HA mask! Ive previously reviewed about mandom beauty masks. They used to have 3 kinds, now they only have the super moist & Hyaluronic acid. I only bought the latter cos I reckon super moist will be too heavy for me, just like their Q10 mask previously.

Its available @ adambeauty. I got mine during my last HK trip, 5 for 70hkd, which is slightly more expensive as compared to their previous version.

No coloring, No preservatives and no added fragrance.

Result:

Though the packaging etc is different now, im glad it still work wonders for me! Essence in gel form, really comfy. mask fits my face perfectly!

I think the moisturising effect is better compared to their previous one, face felt more smooth the next morning and skincare glided on more easily.

As usual, not so much of brightening effect in my opinion. But face do look refined after usage!

Sunday, November 21, 2010

As usual, lots of loots from HK =pI've previously wrote a post on buying skincare & cosmetics in HK a few months back, I will do a update on the prices and stuff available in HK now.I will start with stuff @ Sasa first. I've learnt my lession from my previous trip, ALWAYS go SASA 1st before shopping @ HK departmental stores. Sasa is always cheaper!

Here's a rough guide to some of the items sold @ hk sasa:- L'occitane cherry blossom hand cream 30ml @ hkd60 ( sgd10). The loccitane shop in HK is selling 3 30ml for 210hkd.- Biotherm 360deg eye roll on @ 232hkd (40sgd). singapore is selling it @ $69!- Shu Uemura cleansing oil 500ml @ 440hkd ( sgd70+)- laneige sleeping mask @ hkd158 ( sgd30+)- elizabeth arden 8hr handcream, 30ml tube @ hkd120 ( sgd20)- h20+ oasis @ less than hkd300 ( less than sgd50)- hada labo masks x4 @ hkd72 ( sgd12)- kosa capsule mask x4 @ hkd10-sofymo eye remover 230ml @ hkd56Now, loccitane handcream, h20+, elizabeth arden perfume & handcream can be found in Sasa.Silk whitia is rather expensive in HK. I still think the $1.95/pc offer in Sg is cheaper. Sasa in hk seems to have more taiwan & Japanese masks as compared to korean masks i feel. They have sexylook, kracie ( not the ones that are available in sg), my beauty diary, ELG, hada labo, aqau moist, hisamitsu, silk whitia, clear turn, mandom beauty, skinlite. They dont have alot of Jap masks actually.. so for this trip, I stocked up my mandom beauty (new formula).The lucky me met the SOGO xmas sale again! I met the anniversary sale in May too haha. - Paul & Joe lipstick @ hkd162-shu uemura limited edition brush travel set ( takomo set thats released this season!) @ hkd420 ( sgd70 only!! Sg is selling @ $120!! changi airport terminal 1 selling @ sgd 102)As usual, the price diff for shiseido items in HK is not big compared to SG. I think its almost the same price there even when sgd is strong now. Origins is found in HK too. From causeway bay mtr station to Sogo, origins can be found on the way there. Clear improvement + drink up mask + out of trouble package is only selling @ hkd415 ( sgd70)! single tube is hkd210. I found the highly raved bioderma @ hk guardian too! I saw from cosme that their makeup remover is very popular in taiwan.. so when I saw the xmas package i just cant resist it! 3 bottles ( 100ml, 250ml, 500ml) is retailing @ hkd299 ( sgd50)!! a single bottle of 500ml costs hkd240. I was rather skeptical about it cos that package was totally too good to be true. So i went on to check the expiry date, only to know that it expired in 2013. So i went ahead to buy it :)Sofina is available @ sogo too. They are famous for their sunblocks.. All in all, below are the brands which are available and cheaper to get in HK than in SG:- Anna Sui- Ettusais- biotherm-h2o+-shu uemura-paul & joe (some items)-clinique-laneige-loccitane-origins-kanebo

Similar to shills charcoal mask, this kracie mask is black in color too. The texture of the mask is much smoother as compared to shills'. Mask was well soaked with essence, though its stated 18ml on the packaging.

The cut of this mask is perfect! Fits my face nicely.

After usage, it did not irritate my zits, face was left quite smooth, no sticky feeling, quite hydrated, no brightening effects though. Face din really look very refined after masking.

Face was less oily the next day, and a few of my red bumps actually reduced in size. I realise charcoal mask always do wonders for my face haha.

Verdict: 8/10

I still think shills perform better than this charcoal mask in terms of price & effects. But wellm i think it deserves a score of 8.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

I bought this hair spray when i was in tokyo, at the rankingqueen store @ shinjuku station. It was ranked no2 for the hair section. Because I cant really read jap, I am not sure if its ranked no2 among all hair products or only among the fragrance hair sprays. I bought it for around 15ooyen if i din remember wrongly.

I was interested in sexygirl fragrance hairspray after miao introduced to me. I thought such fragrance hair sprays are very handy especially when I go to hawker to have my lunch almost everyday. But I got this hair spray instead since it was highly rated in tokyo. I shall do a product comparison if i were to try sexygirl in future.

Result:

This hair spray smells really nice! But I dont think the scent is lasting, or probably because I've short hair, so I cant really smell it haha. But I think it does helps to rid the food smell a bit.

After spraying, hair felt really smooth for a moment. But it does not helps to tame flyaway hair. Not that moisturising either. But well, we cant really expect the fragrance hairspray to work like a hair serum right?

Verdict: 8/10

This is my 1st fragrance hair spray. As long as the scent is nice, I think it has does it job haha. Moreover, after spraying, my hair did feel softer and smoother after spraying, though that effect din last long.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Bought this anna sui blusher when I went to Hong Kong in May. It is slightly cheaper in HK as compared to Singapore. SG is probably retailing @ close to $40 if I dint remember wrongly.

I got color 300. I always prefer my make up to be minimal, so miao suggested that I go for something lighter so I can add the intensity easily.

The main reason to why I got this blusher is simply because of the gorgeous packaging!! I've always been a fan of Anna Sui's products, since I couldnt use their foundation cos I think its meant more for dry skin rather than oily skin, the next thing to target is their blusher. Moreover, the online reviews for their blusher were quite promising.

Review:

There is added fragrance as usual, I love the signature rose scent! Even though I only have 2 Anna Sui products (blusher & eyeshadow) in my make up box, but whenever I open my box, I could smell the rose scent. Simply love the scent.

The brush given was soft and enables me to apply the blusher easily. Friends told me they can see the blusher applied on my face (finally) and was natural.

I personally feel its rather lasting too.

Verdict: Love it to bits!

This is only my 2nd blusher so I cant really compare. But for me, as long as the color suits me, intensity can be build easily, natural, lasting and din give me zits, its a good blusher to me. Moreover, the packaging is nice.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Bought this DHC make off sheet (50 sheets) in tokyo. It was retailing at 630Yen (around sgd 10), refill is 525Yen. the DHC make off sheet packaging in HK looks different from the one in Tokyo. Not sure if its the same composition of ingredients. They are similar in price though. Both are not available in SG currently too.

Result:

The size of this make off sheet is about 3/4 to that of simple remover sheets. Sheet is very wet, more wet than simple's. No fragrance or alcohol detected.

I tried removing foundation with this sheet. Have to wipe a few times before it thoughly removes foundation. No sticky feeling after usage. Gentle enough for my sensitive skin.

Verdict: 9/10

Smooth enough to be used on skin. Gentle enough for my sensitive skin too! Cleansing power is quite good. Too bad its not available in SG. I intend to buy the HK DHC make off sheet when i visit HK in 2 weeks time :)

Hydration effect was so-so, but it did look slightly brighter. No sticky feeling. I realise I always experience brightening effect from purifying mask.

Verdict: 7/10

An average mask I feel, nothing too fantastic. I prefer masks with specific function. this mask is like in between. Not super hydrating, brightening is minimal, as for purifying, im not too sure since I don have any pimples then.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Bought this Dress Me mask yest at Sasa to replenish my mask instocks at home. Ever since I started working, I realised I mask more reguarly, without fearing that my mask will be 'too' moisturised cos the aircon in my office never fails to dry my face I feel. Moreover, my face became less pimple prone lately. *touch wood* My masks are depleting and before I stock them up again in HK in Nov, I better try more masks at Sasa so I will know what I can buy there haha.

The SA recommended me Dress Me masks. Its 2 in a packet, for $4.20. There are a few choices, like whitening, oil control etc. I got the one for moisturising.

Mask is quite wet, soaked with essence. Material is close to pulp, similar to those korean masks which claimed they are made with 100% pulp material. Mask adheres well to skin, fits my face quite nicely too.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Ettusais Eye color C BE1 is the 1st eye shadow which I bought for myself. It was retailing at $19 at the ettusais counter.

When I knew how much kanebo Coffret D'or ($16/color) was retailing for, I kinda regretted buying the ettusais one oops. Coffret D'or being more popular and famous for their eye shadows, was actually cheaper than Ettusais', was the reason why I regretted buying ettusais eye color at 1st. Well, Im glad the experience with etttusais eye color was rather good, hence making me feel much better.

Result:

BE1 was a very shimmery yellow beige, close to white/silver eye color. I used it as a base color.

When applied onto eye lids, color was not really obvious, but it was rather shimmery, with a pearlie effect. even the short sighted JX (100 degrees) can see the shimmers without her specs on in the dim lighting at Sakae. But she felt that the shimmers was acceptable, dint make me look too loud or what. I agreed with her, im not those who likes thick or loud make up in the 1st place.

Even when layered, color was still not obvious.

The color or should i say the shimmers was rather lasting as well, though ive slightly oily eye lids. Not flaky as well.

Verdict: 8.5/10

I hope the color would be a little more intense, if not it seems like im applying shimmers onto my eye lids. but the texture wise was great, smooth.

Monday, October 18, 2010

After the great experience with silk whitia mask, I bought another one to try from this range. Its the gel mask this time. After trying out mandom beauty gel mask, I fell in love with the gel like texture sheet mask.

Silk whitia can be found at the Sasa outles. I usually only wait till when there is a offer before I stock them up. If not a box of 5 will cost like $20+.

Result:

Mask was really wet, cutting and scent was similar to the previous silk whitia. Only difference was the texture of the essence. For this purple range, its more towards gel and was really comfy when applied.

Face felt more hydrated compared to the green one. Face was soft and supple after usage. Face looked radiant and smooth the next morning, skincare glide onto skin easily.

Verdict: Another great product! In fact, i prefer this to the green one :)

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Another mask from Mandom beauty. Got it from Hong Kong Sasa too. Each piece is around $2 or less. it used to be available at adambeauty, but now they dont have it already :(

Result:

Similar to the previous mandom beauty mask which i've review, the essence from this mask is also gel-like, very comfy on the skin. Mask was very wet, soaked with lotsa of essence. Both masks smelled similar too, reminds me of low sugar soya bean milk haha.

Mask adhers well to skin with eye flaps. Face was felt soft and hydrated, though a little sticky compared to the hydrating mask from the same range.

Verdict: 8/10

Great mask though a little sticky after masking. Face was less oily the next day.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Bought this single piece when I saw it on offer for $2.95 at Watsons some time back. A box of 3 costs $13.95, there hasnt been much offer for skinvitals lately. I m waiting for their next offer to stock my T-purify.

It contains arbutin, chamomile and grape seed oil.

Result: As usual, mask was rather wet, essence dripping. mask of cloth material, felt smooth on my face. Scent was natural but I kinda hate it. I think its smells rather bad though bearable. I dono how to describe the scent though, it just smells weird.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Was introducing this brand Herbacin in my blog some time back after seeing some great reviews at Urcosme.

I bought the 20ml tube to try 1st and now, Im back with the review!

Herbacin can be found at Watsons. Details are found in my previous post.

Result:

There is added fragrance and I wasnt too used to the scent in the beginning. But after using it daily, I got used to it. It can be rather overwhelming at first, towards the powdery floral scent I feel.

The texture is like thick gel rather than cream. After application, it can be absorbed almost immediately, leaving no sticky feeling at all! I dono how to describe the feeling, but its just like you could feel a layer on your hands but not sticky at all. Hands felt moisturised after usage, can last 2 hand washes.

Verdict: 9/10

I would prefer something that smells better haha. But this hand cream really kept my dry hands moisturised, even in air-con room! Very affordable too.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Have been hoping to whiten my body all along so that the color difference between my face & body become smaller. Therefore, I bought Fancl white body milk when I was in tokyo back in May.

It was slightly cheaper in Tokyo, retailing for 1260Yen, I managed to get it at a further 10% discount cos there was some kind of a promotion going on then. Its retailing at $22 for a bottle of 150ml here in sg.

Result:

As usual, no fragrance detected for fancl products. But i do think it smells like one of my facial skincare. Scent wasnt strong anyway.

Lotion was rather light & watery, but takes a while to be fully absorbed. After application, skin felt smooth and soft.

Once opened, lotion has to be finished within 2 months. I used it diligently for the past 1.5mths, then I became lazy due to work. But i still managed to use up to 85%. So I think its really possible to finish a bottle within 2 months. I applied it on both hands, and upper thighs & feet (the area which is exposed when I wear my covered shoes).

Now, so hows the whitening result? Yes, it worked for me!! I'm very sure cos I saw the difference on both my feet. My feet became darker than my toes when I went under the sun a 3 months back. Then after applying the lotion for 1 mth, I realised it whiten them a little, even out the tone too. I believe with continuous usage, my feet will be back to my origina color heh.

Verdict: 10/10

My main motive of buying it is to whiten, since product does its job, what more can i expect? Well, i do hope it can be slightly cheaper though haha

Friday, September 17, 2010

Received the sample when I bought the hair lotion and body lotion from nature republic some time ago.

Though samples are mini bottles, but they lasted at least 10 times usage! I dint use it on my face again (I am very particular about stuff being applied on my face lol), i applied them on my neck.

Collagen Dream 80 Skin Booster contains highly concentrated water soluble marine-collagen that enhances higher level of collagen in skin. It contains 80% of marine-collagen and extract of Northern Brazil Acai Berry, which is also known as an effective antioxidant.

These highly effective ingredients in Collagen Dream provide moisture and elasticity to skin and make Collagen Dream an effective anti-aging skin care.

Result:

I tried both the booster ( toner) & emlusion (moisturiser) together.

They smell really nice!! I love the scent seriously. Both products smell the same by the way.

The booster is watery gel like texture. Was absorbed by my neck within seconds! Love it. Skin felt smooth after application.

The emulsion is very light as well. Kept my neck moisturised though im not sure if it helps in anti-aging. After usage, neck felt smooth and hydrated.

Bought this mask when I saw it on offer at Sasa, was selling for $1.95/pc. There are 3 flavors if im not wrong, Q10, whitening etc. I chose the hydrating one. If im not wrong, this brand is from taiwan.

Result:

I dont like the scent of this mask, smelled very chemical for some reason. Glad it was not too overwhelming when I applied mask.

Mask is rather big for my face. Comes with eye flaps.

Mask is rather wet. Applied it after exfoliation but still, essence dont seem to absorb well. No significant brightening effect. Face just felt hydrated but was still oily next morning.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

I got to know this eye remover from a beauty book by 伊能静。haha. I bought it when i saw it in China a few years back. Then I read about it at Cosme and realised it was very popular and was voted no1 for many years. Again, it ended up on my wishlist when I was in tokyo.

It came in 2 sizes,120ml and 230ml. i bought the 120ml, cost me less than $10, cant really remember the price. It available at adambeauty.

This remover does not contain alcohol, fragrance and coloring.

Result:

The texture is very similar to emulsion, or gel like texture. Very comfy on the eyes. I cant detect any scent at all.

I wet my cotton with quite a bit of the remover and it removes my mascara (fiberwig), eye liner (ettusais) & eye shadow (anna sui & kanebo) well. Though sometimes it may need a few swipes. Its really gentle, does not sting my sensitive eyes at all! Wont leave oily film or whatsoever.

Verdict: 9/10

I really love it! its gentle but I do hope the cleansing powder can be slightly higher.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

The freebie this month is Kleenex oil blotter (15pc)! I wrote a review previously, those who are keen can get the magazine.

Ettusais has 2 new products this month! They really have lotsa new stuff every month. Its a duo foundation, apply the lighter shade on the t-zone to keep our face matt for longer hours. The darker shade is applied all over our faces.

Well, I spurgle on maquillage UV lasting powder so I most probably will give this a miss =p

the other new product is the limited edition aqua splash moist (pink bottle). the previous spray was aqua splash OB to absorb sebum, and this limited edition id for moisturiser.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

I bought this in HK, as a package, consisting blusher etc. But I am pretty sure Anna Sui is cheaper in Hk as compared to Japan & Singapore.

I was into eye shadow lately, so I really bought a lot of eye shadow products.

Result:

The color i bought was 103, looks like dark blue, but when applied, it turned out to be greyish black, nowhere close to blue. A mini brush was included.

As usual, Anna Sui smells really great haha! Even when i kept them in their original boxes, put them in my make up box, I could smell it whenever i open the box. Not sure if its bcos I've 3 Anns Sui products in it haha.

Bcos of the color, I decided to use it as an eye liner, rather than a eye shadow. I tried using the brush given by Anna Sui to draw the line, but its abit hard to control so i use another brush I have, with a more pointed tip.

For my eyes, I dont have the habit of applying foundation over them. Usually, I will only apply my ettusais eye cream then I will go ahead with the eye shadow. I dont have an eye primer currently. I don apply sunblock or makeup base too. I dont like having so many products for my eyes since its a delicate area.

So I will just try to draw a line near my lashes with this eye shadow. It wont look as black or dark like eye liner, very subtle but still can be seen. if i want it to be darker, I can easily add on too. So its very easy for me to correct my mistakes, especially for beginners like me.

However, after applying a few times, I realise its not lasting. I dont know why my eye lids became more oily than usual, and it will start to smudge a little. the color will be less obvious after like 5 hours. I will invest on urban decary eye primer soon, hopefully the situation will improve.

Verdict: 6.5/10

Well, I feel the color is great as a liner, not too dark, and to me, its easier to draw as compared to a eye liner. But too bad, it smudge a little and not very lasting. If situation improve with a eye primer, i will update the score again.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Phew~ have not been updating my beauty blog >.< Cos life has been really busy, almost upside down since i started working.

Anyway, the star for today will be shiseido moilip lip balm! I bought it when i was in Tokyo a couple of months ago. this lip balm was on my wishlist after knowing this was voted no1 at cosme in 2009. I always love trying new lip products haha!

I got it at drugstore for about 600+ yen, roughly SGD12 for 8g. It available at adambeauty, retailing at hkd97, exclusive of shipping feels etc. I think it will add up to about Sgd20.

the packaging was really ugly i though haha. thats one thing they should improve on i feel.

Result:

This lip balm contains vitamin B6 and E.

After application, there is a minty and cooling feeling, last for less than 5minutes only.

The texture is verysimilar to vaseline, slightly thicker though, yellowish transparent color. Personally, I dont really fancy the texture cos i prefer something more liquid, easier for application. After applying, lips wont feel oily at all! I though vaseline is more oily instead. It feels very light on the lips!

I tried using it in office, I only need to re-apply once or twice for 9hours :) My lips dont peel as often compared to the past.

Verdict: 10/10

I love it! It really kept my lips moisturised! Though i dont really like the texture, but it really works for my lips! Price was affordable too.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

This will probably be my last product from Nature Republic. Tried their facial masks, hand masks etc, only the body lotion was slightly above average, the rest were quite disappointing, at least for me.

This shine flower is a moisturising hair lotion/emulsion (195ml). I bought it at $18, mainly bcos of the pretty purple bottle!

nature republic has only 2 outlets in singapore currently, 1 at bishan junction 8, the other at somerset 313.

Result:

The scent wasnt that bad, but not that fantastic either. Smells like those usual hair wax i feel. But it really feels like lotion, texture is light and not oily. Sometimes i applied a little too much, but this lotion still wont made my hair look sticky etc.

But its not making my frizzy hair better, not too moisturising either.

Verdict: 6.5/10

Was slightly expensive i thought though the bottle was huge. Not that useful when you've frizzy hair here and there like me.

Monday, September 6, 2010

BHG had a revamp last week and there are some new beauty brands found there now :)

They have a korean fair (reminds me of isetan japan fair haha) special, exclusively at BHG junction 8, from 3rd to 9th sept.

korean brands like 山心 and ossion are found there. There are great offers for both brands currently.

Korres, a brand from greece can be found there too. They have mainly the body products, but i saw that they have facial stuff from the website too, not sure if they are available at BHG since i was in a rush just now.

Kracie masks are having 20% off! If u're keen to try their masks, this will be a great time to buy. I was tempted to buy their eye masks since after discount is will be around $10 for 4pairs. But after the not-so-fantastic experience with their facial masks, i decided to give it a miss. I shall consider again if some1 is willing to share with me haha. I am currently more interested in shiseido maquillage rouge & their compact haha.

I saw the tofu sponge made in japan too. Miao was telling me last week that she bought it haha. I dint manage to see the price, but i guess its quite costly since its retailing at around 800yen. So it should be around $12 i guess. This tofu sponge comes in 3 shapes. It was voted the no1 at cosme a few years ago. Its meant for the application of liquid foundation.

Neutrogena hydro boost is selling at $2.95/pc, their new version whitening mask is selling at $1.95/pc too.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Have been really busy for this whole week. Hopefully things will get better soon. :)

Ok back to review. Dazzleglass is my 1st lip gloss. My lips are rather thick so I'm worried that applying glossy stuff will made them look worse :( Thats the main reason why all along I dint wanna try lipgloss. But I'm glad I went ahead and gave dazzleglass a try.

I bought dazzlegass when i went HK in May. I got it at 150 or 160 HKD at the airport, cant remember the exact price. Its retailing at aroundSGD35 if I am not wrong.

The name of the color I bought was smile.

Result:

It was a really sheer color. I'm new to make up and always want it to be as natural as possible. Really glad the MAC assistant managed to recommend the right color for me.

It was not those super shimmery kind, the shimmers are just right, dint made my lips look thicker too hehe. Color was natural and close to my lip color, not those super red kind. I dont think the texture is very sticky too. The brush applicator that comes with the lipgloss was quite 'stiff' when I 1st used it, but it became soft after 2-3 times usage. The brush makes application fuss-free, color goes on smoothly and my lips looked really moisturised after application, doesnt emphasize the lines on the lips.

I dint see any fragrance added in the ingredient list, but this lipgloss really smells nice lol.

The 1st time i used it, i applied anna sui lipbalm under it and my lips became very dry after like 5hours. The 2nd time i applied Vaseline and it was much better. Do note that i dint touch up in between, I dint reapply lipbalm or dazzleglass.

I eat and drink as per normal and the lipgloss stayed for only perhaps 3-4hours.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

I bought this concealer when I was trying to learn make up a few months ago. I thought concealer was 1 of the must-have item in the pouch other than foundation.

This concealer is retailing at $36, 3 shades available. I am using the lightest shade, 10 ivory. As usual, its medicated, suitable for acne prone skin. I dont know why, I just feel that using this concealer, I can conceal and treat my zits at the same time haha. This concealer is meant to for open pores, blemishes and acne scars.

Result:

It comes with a spatula, whereby I have to turn the round thingy at the bottom then the liquid will come out from the spatula. I usually will dab it with my fingers and apply directly to my blemishes rather than using the spatula directly on my face.

I dint detect any scent.

I only apply on scars and red bumps, not zits with pus. I will dab abit of the concealer on the blemish, then dab lightly with fingers to blend. Well, for those lighter scars, it can more or less conceal, but for those darker or brown ones, this concealer cant do much. Sometimes on darker scars i will apply 2 layers, it wont cake too.

The good thing is it wont irritate my red bumps and make them worse after application.

Verdict: 7.5/10

I have some dark red scars and this concealer just cant do the job. I hope I am not expecting too much from a concealer haha. But i am glad it dint give me more zits or irritate them further. Shade was suitable for me, i realised ettusais foundation shades and concealer suit me perfectly, at least i need not worry about the color etc. For a beginner like me, this product is easy to use.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

I wrote a short review on this soap when i was doing an overall brand review for ettusais some time ago.

Well, I tried this soap cleanser again lately and felt that it deserves a full review on its own again haha.

(From Ettusais.com.sg)

This soap cleanser is formulated with AC Control Oil. this soap forms a rich, creamy lather ( I agree!). With a “cushion effect”, the bubbles remove dirt and old sebum cells from the skin, leaving it dewy fresh without any feeling of tightness. Its oil-free.

I tried this cleanser again lately cos my face was in bad shape since i came back from tokyo in May.

This soap is retailing at $20 without casing. For hygiene purposes, I think its better to get a casing for this soap. I got mine free when i purchased the full sized soap 3years ago. It was on promotion so ettusais was giving away free casing & foam ball.

Result:

1 full sized soap can last at least 6months ( last longer if you use it with foam ball i feel) so its really affordable.

I can smell sulphur when i hold the soap close. But I dont really detect any scent when i cleanse my face with the foam created though.

With the foam ball, I can create lotsa foam within seconds. Foam are rather thick and dense (Fancl is still thicker though), so I cant really feel my zits when i was massaging the foam over my face. Sorta like a cushion effect. So the foam was quite comfy. I like the cushion feel haha. This foam is thicker than the dhc salicylic acne wash which i've reviewed earlier.

The foam can be rinse off easily. Face was left clean soft, the dish clean feel if you understand what i meant. not the soft and smooth kind like fancl washing powder. Face feel tight sometimes so I only use once a day. I will use Fancl at night.

After using this soap for nearly 3 months, I really have lesser breakouts. Though i still suffer a few here and there when my period is coming.

Verdict: 8.5/10

Points deducted cos sometimes its too drying for me and i still think soap is not very hygienic haha.

But its still worth a try cos it really helps to combat zits! Price is really affordable too :)

Ettusais always have samples for this cleanser so make sure you can one before buying! the sample sized soap can last at least a week!

L'Occitane has a roadshow at Taka from 24Aug to 2nd Sept 2010 for their limited edition Calanques range.

Eau de Toilette 50ml: $69

Buoy Soap 100g: $15

Body Scrub 200ml: $58

Foraming shower gel 250ml: $32

Soothing Body Milk 250ml: $47

For the freebies above ( no1 & 2), its while stocks last!

Purchase up to $180 in a single receipt to join their VIP Club and receive an Olive Luminous body cream 75ml FREE! ( They did not state this is while stocks last though haha)

Check this out if you're going town this weekend :)

Guerlain has got a new eye make up product, the casing looks really pretty! Their stuff always look classy to me haha. From the brochure, I dont think the eye shadows look shimmery, more towards matt i feel.

If you're keen for the photoshoot, check it out from 10sept to 13sept 2010 at taka dept store level 4 studio 04!

have been watching the famous taiwanese variety show, 女人我最大 on scv lately. Was more interested cos I hope to learn more about make up application haha.

Learnt something interesting about the application of liquid foundation. To have more natural make up, be it radiant or what, simply mix skincare with our liquid foundation :) Ive heard of this tip before but have not tried it since i do not have liquid foundation at home.

The make up artist in the show was saying, by doing this, we can add skincare benefits to make up. If you wanna have more radiant and whitening, add whitening products. For more hydration, of cos moisturising products. The proportion will be 1/3 skincare, 2/3 foundation. Too much will affect the coverage of the foundation.

Do choose products that are more watery like emulsion or essence, not cream. Adding watery essence etc, can 'dilute' thicker liquid foundation and make application of foundation easier too. The make up artist mix(massage the foundation & essence on the back of his hands, saying that the heat (our body temperature) on our hands helps mixing both products.

Apply our daily skincare, make up base, liquid foundation ( with added skincare), then loose powder ( so that the foundation can stay longer).

Well, I will try this when i get my 1st liquid foundation haha. That will probably be 2months later when i feel richer hehe.

The other tip is for eye make up. Some of us may have oily eye lids and eye shadows may crease etc. If you wanna save on eye primer, can probably try getting eye shadows of cream texture. Meaning we apply cream eye shadow 1st then the usual powder ones. This will help eye make up to stay longer. Some of those eye palettes in the market already have this combination if you notice. In this case i guess the cream shadow will most probably be the base (lighter color).

Alternatively, you can put a towel in the fridge then take it out to 'cool' the eye lids. This will help to control oil. Do note that opting for ice cubes with towel is a no-no cos that will hurt our skin.

Lastly, apply loose powder on our eye lids hoping to control oil is a no-no too. He said something like if we secrete oil, the loose powder will make the eye make up look worse.

Hmm, seems like im really interested in make up now. Hopefully i will become some expert one day haha.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

I bought both at $7.90, 200ml each at watsons. I got them one after another cos I think its fairer to gauge ichikami when i use both shampoo & conditioner together. This is the 1st conditioner in my life haha, Cos i have short hair so all along i dont think condi is necesssary for me. Well, i just decided to care more for my hair .

Result:

I have normal scalp, not oily, dry hair. Frizzy hair a bit here and there. Shampoo claimed to be free from silicon, the ingredient which causes hair loss. But seriously, I dont think its helpful cos I am still dropping quite a bit of hair. Not as much compared to when i was using Loreal ( the shampoo i reviewed previously), slightly lesser only. As for conditioner, they dint state the silicon part so i reckon it contains it.

Shampoo's scent is really nice, more of floral, not too overwhelming as well. The conditioner smells a bit different, not as nice but not too bad too.

Texture of shampoo is towards watery compared to my previous asience. Lather up easily. For the 1st few days, i use it without conditioner cos i haven buy it then. Hair was left smooth and soft. When i started on the conditioner, effect was better. I only use condi once a day and shampoo twice. I realised the conditioner made my fringe a bit too oily sometimes.

It has been nearly 3weeks since i started using both products, I realised hair is less frizzy as compared to before but still effect not as good as loreal. No doubt hair is left soft, but not smooth enough.

Verdict: Shampoo 6.5/10, conditioner 6/10I was disappointed by japanese hair products once again, after essential :( Ichikami was much much expensive too, almost twice the price. I think shampoo fare slightly better than the conditioner.

I was thinking if i should try shiseido tsubaki now since its found in nishino (taka basement). Heard many raves for tsubaki. Nishino has many japanese hair products too, esp shiseido. But after these 2 not so good experiences with jap hair products, I sorta changed my mind. I think i will try redken or kerastase instead since they specialised on hair products. seems like i got myself hooked onto hair stuff lately, after neglecting my hair for the past 2o odd years haha. well, that means more spending =p

For the texture etc, refer to my previous posts on ELG eye mask. I realised this mask is a bit wider than the 4th generation which i tried.

As usual, my eyes look hydrated, brighter and fresh. but still not as good as the golden 4th generation one i feel. This pack does not have so much essence too, not sure isit because its almost 1 year old or what, never encounter this with the rest though.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

I first saw this mask on Sasa.com, then decided to grab it when i was in hongkong in May. It can be found at the Sasa in Hk, retailing for HK60 ( Around sgd 11) for a box of 5. Currently its not available at any of the stores in Singapore, at least i dint see them around at Watsons & Sasa. We can buy it from sasa.com & adambeauty.com.

There are 3 range available, the hyaluronic acid(blue) for hydrating & pores, Q10 (orange) for firming & the royal jelly for moisturising.

I threw the boxes away cos i wanted to minimise luggage weight then so i dont have the ingredients. But according to adam beauty website, this mask has got no coloring, no fragrance, no preservative, mild enough for sensitive skin.

I realise manufactured dates and expiry dates are always not available for Japanese products bought from HK & japan. Well, since it does not contain preservative, i guess i better finish them up fast in case they expire.

Result:

I tried it 3x so far. Mask has 22ml of essence, was rather wet when i took it out, slightly dripping. This mask comes with eye flaps. Since i dont have the habit of masking my eye lids, I tore the connector so that the eye flaps can be folded down. The connector is just a very small piece of cloth so it was done easily. Eye holes are just nice, i like it.

This mask is similiar to the juju aquamoist mask, the chin and upper lid areas are not connected, so we can adjust it freely. Refer to the picture of the packaging, and if you look carefully at it, the upper lin area has got white 'spaces' in the picture, they are not 'attached', what i meant by not connected. the mask looked exactly like the one on the packaging. I love this detail cos most masks are not fitting for me at the chin area, probably because my face is not very long, though i thought mine is quite long already haha. this gave me an idea that I may wanna cut other masks so that they can adhere better in future haha. The cut of this mask fits me perfectly! Even at the areas near the nose.

Anyway, i detected a very mild soya bean scent when i open the packet. I am quite sure its not like those added fragrance scent, guess its the original scent of the essence. Essence is a little towards gel-like texture, very comfy when i had the mask on me.

After about 13min or so, i removed mask and face look really hydrated, clearer and brighter significantly, pores looked refined (temporarily though) too. I din scrub my face for around 5days already though haha. After massaging the left over essence on my face, face felt quite smooth and moisturised, not sticky at all.

Face was a litle oily this morning, looked quite radiant but not super smooth.

Verdict: 9/10 I love it! Very sure this mask dint give me zits (sometimes its just hard to determine for some masks) and dint irritate my existing ones too. 1 point deducted cos my face was not left super smooth.

the cutting of this mask is great, adhere well to my skin. Though i think its more of a hydrating mask since it contains hyaluronic acid, but i like the fact that my face was brightened up, quite a bit in fact.

i may need to order it through adambeauty in future, probably at $3/pc. Pretty expensive but i love the effects from this mask haha. I make sure i stock this mask when i go HK again!

The material of this mask was different from the moisturising (red range) which i tried previously. this mask does not have those micro look alike holes on it. The material is those normal ones, a bit stiff, a little hard to adjust, thickness is just right, not really like cotton material ( like skinvitals) though.

The cutting is quite big for my face, but im glad mask adhere quite well on face. Big eye holes, i like! haha.

Essence is 20ml, stated on the mask. When i took it out, its not those dripping kind, moderately wet. Cant detect any scent though fragrance was added.

After like 13min, face did look a little brighter. Essence was not sticky. After massage, essence was absorbed in quite fast. Face felt quite hydrated but dont feel very smooth.

After like 1h, red patches appeared at forehead area again. I realised i tend to have this problem with whitening mask :( Well, i gathered its because of citric acid（果酸）. I have sensitive skin by the way. So those with sensitive skin, you may want to think twice before trying this mask. My red patches were not those serious kind, will go away after a while say 30min or so but its still quite irritating cos its a little itchy. I felt better after spraying avene water too.

I watched those taiwan variety show and understand that sensitive skin has to be careful with 果酸, AHA. I googled online and realised citric acid is one of the 5 main types of AHA found in skincare. AHA helps to get rid of dead skin and activate skin regeneration, hence enhancing essence absorption etc. Thats why some whitening products contain them. Since it contains AHA, I think its best to apply this mask at night cos AHA can increase sun sensitivity.

My face was less oily this morning and looked a bit radiant, 1 new mini zit pop out with another threaten to pop out any moment too.

Verdict:

I only judge it on the whitening/brightening effect, hydration, smoothness etc. Will not penalise it for the red patches it gave me.

I got no choice but to send it to hall of hates cos it gave me zits!

Seems like i do not have much luck with kracie masks. Hopefully the charcoal one will be better.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

I am not sure how many of us out there have got this same problem as me. I always have difficulty creating enough foam with foam cleansers. I used foam cleansers ( those in tube form) for many years, since i was a secondary school kid, all the way to university year 1. I remembered the last one i tried was thefaceshop mung bean cleanser haha. I guess many of us now still do since it was the most common kind of cleansers in our local market.

Well, no1 teached me how to properly lather up etc. What i did was , squeeze about 1.5cm of cleanser onto my wet hands then rub back and forth, then the cleanser will become sorta like a creamy liquid form, I will then massage them onto my face.

Over the years I became more and more crazy about skincare lol, I read magazines, watched beauty variety shows etc, and realised that it is very important to create enough foam while cleansing to ensure that our faces are properly cleansed and yet not too drying for our skin. I came upon fancl washing powder and fell in love with the cushiony foammmm!! :) Since then, I never touch those foam cleansers anymore cos i think they cant provide me the same kinda foam i get from fancl.

I tried ettusais soap cleanser and I managed to create lotsa foam with fancl's foaming ball too. Just roll the ball on the soap for like 10seconds, then squeeze the ball a bit, keep rolling and you will get enough foam. I am not sure how people usually lather up soap cleansers but I find it very easy with fancl foaming ball. I got to know this method cos i was given a foaming ball by ettusais when i purchase their soap 2 years ago. It was on promotion and it came with free casing and foam ball. Since i am a fancl cleanser at the same time, I've got no problem getting their foam ball too. Those who have problem lathering enough with soap cleansers can try this method. Its quite easy to get foam ball from fancl counters, just tell them you need one and they will give it to you generously. I heard that we need to pay in japan for that!

I tried DHC salicylic acne wash sample lately and i decided to use it with the foaming ball since i knew i could never create enough foam with my bare hands. It was in gel form so i rolled the ball back and forth, allowing it to 'absorb' in the gel. Within seconds, trust me, it less than 5 seconds, with a little squeezing for the ball, foam was created! I dint managed to snap a photo of it but i tried it with vichy purifying cleansing gel today. That was my 1st gel cleanser, received it as a freebie when i bought the pore minimiser product lately. I opened it not long ago but was too busy to try it haha.

the blue ball on the right is how fancl foaming ball looks like. They come in green too.

shocking right haha! I used roughly same amount of gel for both tries yet the difference was soooo biggggg!

I dont have any opened foam cleansers (tube form) with me right now so i cant try it, but if you have the same problem as me, try it with fancl foaming ball! OR any other foaming sponge/ball you can find in the market :) I was thinking daiso may have such cleansing tools since japanese are crazy about foam haha.

Alternatively, you can opt for mousse or bubble cleansers, those pump kind whereby foam was already created and stored in those pump bottles and we just need to press the pump to get the foam. I know hada labo, nuxe ($20+) & Juju aquamoist (around $15) have their cleansers in pump form at watsons. Do take note that these cleansers finishes faster. Whether those foam are 'thin' or dense, i guess will have to depends on brand.